The Canadian company’s IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) Program, its IGEN (the International Genetically Modified Organism [GMO] Evaluation and Notification Program) for non-GMO testing, and IPRO (the International Probiotic Standards Program) for probiotics are now consolidated into one website, while maintaining brand recognition for each certification both online and on-pack..
“These changes were made in response to feedback from consumers and our customers over the past several years,” said William Rowe, President and CEO of Nutrasource. “The new website provides one convenient place for shoppers to research, browse, and search for products by certification, brand, product type, and region. This enhancement further aids the supplement industry in showcasing premium products in a more transparent way than ever before.”
IFOS is globally recognized in 25+ countries and is going into its 17th year, Rowe told us. IGEN was officially launched in 2016 (although the company was talking to the industry about it earlier), and while it is an international program, it is most recognized in the U.S. supplement industry where consumers are heavily concerned with non-GMO products.
“We have a number of brands in process for IPRO certification, and expect the site to be populated by September,” said Rowe.
Building awareness
The new website, which can be found here, gives consumers free access to full test results.
“We will be driving brand awareness to Certifications by Nutrasource as opposed to individual programs moving forward,” Rowe told NutraIngredients-USA. “We are engaging in extensive content marketing and social media marketing strategies to maximize reach. We are really highlighting the internationality of our programs since the demand is present globally. This is being nodded to by the ability to search by region being promoted on the home page.”
The site also includes a consumer-facing blog, which aims to provide educational content to consumers on health, wellness and transparency through third-party certifications, said Rowe. “We will be posting about consumer-level issues within the supplement industry and use the opportunity to showcase our customers (brands) to consumers,” he added.
Investment
The company also mentioned that it plans to add to IFOS, IGEN, and IPRO with a THC compliance program for CBD products that is under development.
The new website launch follows a recent announcement that BDC Capital’s Growth and Transition Capital division provided a $2-million non-dilutive facility to fund research and development at Nutrasource.